Absorbent textile



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ABSORBENT TEXTILE Filed March 6, 193a I 7 SHORT STAPLE f .sPu/v HAYO/V l I NVENTQR:

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ATTO RNEYA Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE slgnor to Wellington Sears Company, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 6,1930, Serial No. 67,425 1 Claim. (01. 139-426) This invention relates to woven or knit fabrics and more particularly to absorbent textiles made in part of spun rayon yarn, the yarn being made up of cut or broken filaments of rayon, of suit- 5 able length and spun into a yarn by any of the known spinning methods- One object of the invention is to provide an improved moisture absorbent fabric of this kind in which the spun rayon yarn is utilized to act as .10 an absorbent of moisture and is, of high frictional propertles.- Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the emciency of such fabrics and to provide a fabric of this kind which is durable 15 in use and economicalto manufacture.

Still other objects of the inventionwill appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described in the specification and some of the claims, the invention is 20 not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in 25 connection with a form of fabric, some of the yarn of which comprises or includes cut and spun rayon yarn the filaments of which are coarser than 1% denier. After repeated attempts to make satisfactory moisture absorbent textiles I have discovered and demonstrated that, by using cut and spun rayon filaments coarser than 1% denier, yarns and fabrics for dish, or kitchen and crash towelling 8 and the like can be produced that are far superior for absorption purposes to similar yarns and fabrics produced of 1 /2 denier staple or less. Absorption in such textile fabrics depends not only upon the susceptibility of the component fibers to absorb \molsture within themselves but also upon the amount of moisture held by capillary attraction in the interstices between the, coniponent fibers and component yarns of the fabrics. I have discovered and demonstrated'that by us- .ing rayon filaments coarser than 1 /2 denier the absorption emciency of crash towelling is increased. The capillary action is very materially improved'when the filaments are coarser than 1% denier. 50 A fabric used for a drying agent, such as a dish towel, derives some of its efilciencythrough friction developed in the rubbing of the fabric over the surface tobe dried: and I have discovered that by using cut and spun rayonfilaments coarser than 1 /2 denier, this friction can be increased, thereby improving the eflicienoy of the fabric.

Generally it is very desirable that a fabric,

being coarser than 1% denier.

used for the absorption of moisture shall have the property of also giving off such moisture rapidly through evaporation. Also, absorbent fabrics are sometimes used for the dispersion of moisture through evaporation; and I have dis- 5 covered that by using cut and spun rayon filaments coarser than 1 denier the rate of evaporation is very materially increased.

In the accompanying 'drawing showing, by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. l is a fragmental plan or face view showing one simple form of woven fabricyand Fig. 2 shows a transverse section of the fabric Of Fig. '1;

Fig. 1 shows ,a simple fabric suitable for towelling, comprising warp threads 5 of yarn of cotton or cotton and fiax, and a filling 8, consisting of threadsof absorbent yarn having cut and spun rayon filaments therein. The absorbent m yarn may consist of spun, short staple filaments of rayon from V to 5 inches in length, preferably about 1 inches in length, and from 1 to denier and preferably about 3 to 5 A denier. The absorbent yarn 6 may consist entirely of the spun rayon or there may be as much as'50% of cotton or flax mixed therewith. Some or all of the warp may contain some spun rayon illa ments, or may be solely of spun rayon.

The invention is not limited to the weaves shown or to woven rather than knitted material, it being only necessary that the material contain a sufficient quantity of yarn including sufficient short staple spun rayon yarn, the denier I claim as my invention:

An absorbent crash towel comprising a fabric having a warp of coarse loosely spun linen and cotton yarn, and a filling of coarse loosely spun yarn comprising about 48% cotton and 12% 4o linen to give strength to the towel during repeated wettings and about of shortstaple synthetic fibers of the viscose, acetate or cu'pra-ammonium type, including rayon; the filaments of said fibers being about 1 inches in length, and about 3 denier; the cotton and linen being enough in quantity to impart sufficient durability and strength to the fabric, during repeated wettings, to adapt the fabric for long'use as a towel, the linen increasing the strength when wet; said filaments and filling being coarse enough to. produce superior friction during wiping, and being sufficiently coarse, loosely woven and short, and sufficient in quantity, to afford about three times the absorbing, drying and evaporatingjquality' u of an all-linen towel of similar weight and size. CHARLES-P. COULTER, Jl. 

